Grey Stone Academy
by Alvarie Army
Summary: Maureen is new at Grey Stone Academy, a very prestigious school that only a select few get to attend. But there are things she doesn't realize about some of her best friends, important things.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Rise of the Guardians. Now, on with the story!**

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The faintest form of a smile appeared on my face as I was shown around my new school. The girl, Ana, seemed very perky and excited that a new student was attending Grey Stone Academy, a very prestigious boarding school that only one out of every hundred people that apply get in. A lot were knocked out during the lie detector test, where they asked if we were still a virgin. I was proud to say that I had never done anything with a man, nor did I plan to until after marriage.

"This is the library. It's one of the oldest buildings on campus." Ana grabbed my arm and yanked me over to the only building we hadn't visited yet. "This," she said, gesturing to the old building, "is where we will be staying. It _is_ the oldest building here, but it's very sturdy. Let's go to our room."

Of all the things I had learned about Ana, I did not know that we were roommates. Apparently, though, the boys stayed in a more modern building than the girls. Passing by it, I noticed that their building had more modern windows, showing that it was indeed newer. Our building, Flight A, as it was called, had a very Gothic style to it. Vines climbed up the tall tower, which was where our room was located. "It's the biggest room here!" Ana exclaimed.

We walked through the large wooden doors into the foyer, which was warmed by a large fire place against the right wall. There were two staircases, meeting on the second floor. Apparently that was where the dining halls and kitchens were located there. On the third floor, as I was told, housed the adults, all female in this building. After that, the students quarters. Mine was at the top, the highest point in the building. From our large window, I could see the main school building. _"Most of my classes are in there,"_ I thought as I stared at it.

"Where's the bathroom?" I asked Ana.

She pointed a thin hand toward a smaller replication of the front door. I walked through and prepared for bed.

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**I started writing this story a long time ago, but I wasn't sure if I would publish it or not. As you can see, I decided to publish it for you.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, wake up!" a soft voice called to me.

My eyes fluttered open and I blinked at the figure of Ana. She was wearing the school uniform, which included a navy blue blazer and jeans. I fell in love with the school uniform almost instantly. We were allowed to roll the sleeves of our blazer, and the only slightly uncomfortable part of our uniform was the choking blouses. Most people, though, left the top button open. Our uniform was much more stylish than my last uniform.

"What's up, Ana?" I asked as I gathered my uniform and started heading towards the bathroom. My arms were filled with clothes and I only had so much time before class started.

She smiled, her teeth absolutely perfect when I was still on my retainer. "Classes are cancelled today. Snow day."

"So, why are you wearing the uniform?"

Ana stared at me like I had lost my mind. "I don't have many other clothes, but whatever."

I stopped walking over to the bathroom and returned to my dresser. Instead, I grabbed my purple tye-dye t-shirt and high-tops. Our usual school shoes were very boring in my opinion, being Sperry-Top-Siders. I had to wear them at my last school, too, so I was accustomed to them.

After gathering slightly more comfortable clothes, I made my way fully into the bathroom. I changed my clothes, wearing the jeans and blazer that the was my school uniform. It was oddly comfortable, and it never made me overheated or scratchy.

Ana, seeming pleased from my departure from the bathroom, bounded over to me. "Hey, Maureen, do you want to go somewhere with me? Me and a group of my friends are going to the park, movies, and who knows where!"

"Um, isn't it a little cold to go to a park?" I asked.

"Just dress warm." She shrugged like the snow was no big deal. I used to live in Florida, so I didn't get much snow. Ever. The only time I'd seen snow was on a family vacation to Canada when I was three but never since then. "I have some spare scarves and gloves, if you want."

Deciding that it wouldn't kill me to go out and make some new friends, I agreed on the condition that they actually talk to me. If they were anything like Ana, though, talking wouldn't be an issue in the slightest. Sometimes it seemed like all she would ever do was to talk and talk. She would even talk to herself in her sleep, I quickly discovered. My first night was disrupted by random sessions of Ana's talking.

I pulled on my gloves and scarf, both of which Ana had given to me as a gift, and my white beret. Ana linked her arm through mine and walked me to the place where we would be meeting with her friends. Not only was I excited, but I was also nervous. Ana was easy to open up to, so I became her friend rather quickly. However, I was very timid, thus leading to my lack of friends.

"Don't worry," Ana told me. "You'll love them."

The first of her friends arrived shortly after we did. He was tall with bluish black hair. His eyes were a beautiful emerald green and his skin was tanned ever so slightly. I knew from the other girls in my building that he was a senior with a grumpy disposition. I couldn't imagine why or how someone like him could be friends with my purple eyes, extremely perky roommate.

Ana bounded over to him, leaving me sitting on the leather sofa of the library. Slowly, I stood so I was facing them. "Maureen, this is Edmund. We call him Ed for short." She ruffled her hand through his longish hair, shaking some crumbs to the floor.

The second person to arrive was a mute I had seen on my first day. While he seemed friendly enough, I never learned sign language, so I had no idea what he was saying most of the time. Luckily, Ana and Ed seemed to be able to translate for me.

The short boy started making gestures, presumably telling me his name and grade. I looked to Ed for help, not truly knowing what he just signed. "He says his name is Sandy and he's a junior."

I was taken aback by Ed's Australian accent. He hadn't actually spoken at all since arriving. All he did was just make random gestures like waving and nodding in people's direction. I had always found Australian accents amazingly beautiful, but I had never actually met an Australian person.

"So, your name is Sandy? That's cool." I tried to keep my voice casual as I spoke.

"Where is..." Ana said as she looked around the library. "Ed, did you tell him we cancelled our plans?" She glared at him accusingly.

Ed shook his head. "Why would I, Ana? He's probably in detention right now."

"But Mr. Nick said he could just serve detention another day! I asked him super politely." She pouted and Sandy walked over to comfort her. His golden blond hair reflected the sunlight, making it appear that he was glowing. Even his brown eyes had a golden tint to them. I sensed something strange about all of them, something that went deeper than just high school friendships.

A pale boy with brown hair sauntered over. His face was slightly freckled, but he made it work. His features were attractive, straight down to his brilliant blue eyes. I was captivated by the way they glistened, a beautiful sapphire in the mist of pale skin. He wore a blue hoodie with his jeans and a pair of blue sneakers. Everything about him was good looking, straight down to the slight muscles I could see under his royal blue hoodie.

"Hey, guys! Nick let me out of detention altogether. Who's this?" He gestured at me with his head, causing a deep layer of blush to form on my face.

Ed spoke right up. "This is Maureen. She's a sophomore like you and Ana."

"Cool. Nice to meet someone new. This place gets about three new students a year."

The four of them started laughing hysterically as though that was the funniest thing they had ever heard. I personally didn't get it, but that was probably because I was still new to Grey Stone Academy.

"It's nice to meet you, Maureen. I'm Jackson." Jackson extended his hand out to me. I politely took it, shuddering as I felt how cold his skin was. Naturally, I assumed that he was probably still cold from outside. The boys' buildings were a several minute walk from the library, no matter which one of the two boy buildings he was placed in. Ana and I didn't have this problem, since our building was connected to the library. A school campus can only be so big.

"The pleasure is mine," I said, feigning formality. Usually, I was much more casual.

Ana seemed ready to go, hopping from one foot to the other. "Come one, guys! The snow will only last so long, and Maureen has only seen it _once_! She has to experience it again!"

"Ana's right! We must show this poor girl the world of snow. Onward!" Jackson mock shouted. Immediately, he began dragging me to the door as the librarian glared over at us. He pushed the door open and shoved me face-first into the snow. "The experience begins!"

All five of us started laughing at Jackson's pushing me into the snow. Even I found it funny until I realized just how cold I was. My legs were going numb, making it difficult for me to stand up. "A little help. I can't feel my legs."

Ed and Sandy darted over, Ed arriving seconds before Sandy. They each grabbed one of my arms as Ed glared at Jackson, who was still calming down. I wondered what was so funny until Ed brushed the snow from my face, smiling gently. "You should be more careful around 'im, Sheila." He gestured to Jackson with his head. "He's always been a mischief maker."

"So I've gathered." I finished brushing the snow off my blazer and leaned into Ed for warmth. He gathered me in his arms, sensing how cold I must have been to lean into a near-stranger's arms. His body was surprisingly warm, and I welcomed it in like I how I welcomed in trips to the beaches. My family liked to go there a lot, since we lived so close.

Jackson eventually rushed over to talk to me. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you that cold. Where're you from?"

I pushed my hair behind my hair as I said, "Marco Island, Florida. It's nice and warm there."

When I was warm enough, Ed pulled away and started walking. Finally able to move around freely, I followed him, and Ana walked right next to me. Sandy joined Ed at the front, making gestures that Ed would answer with words that seemed very random to me. Jackson walked in the back, hanging his head like a sad puppy. He probably felt bad about pushing me into the snow.

"Here we are," Ana shouted in my ear. I cringed away from her, holding my ears as she murmured apologies. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your ears. I'm just _really_ excited."

"S'okay. I'm used to loud things in my ears." I had a deaf whippet puppy at my house, and he was very loud despite his deafness. Sometimes, he was the only reason I woke up before noon on Saturdays. It was irritating at times.

Ed immediately walked over to a tree and slumped down behind it. Sandy was busy playing with the birds, most of which were not bothered by him in the slightest. Ana was talking to small hummingbirds, and I found it impressive they lived in such a cold climate. Jack climbed to the tallest branch of the tallest tree he could find. Once at the top, he grabbed a branch that had obviously been carved into a shepherd's staff shape.

I walked over to a small bench, pulling a book I'd been reading from my bag. Blood Crave by Jennifer Knight. She had quickly become one of my favorite authors, almost as quickly as Imagine Dragons had become one of my favorite bands. I plugged in my earphones and listened to their song, Radioactive.

After several minutes, I put the book and my music away. I forced my feet through the thick snow over to where Ed was sitting, not doing much. "Hey, Ed."

Ed glanced over at me, his green eyes sparkling. "How you doing, Sheila? Jackson hurt you too bad?" His voice was hard over Jackson's name, cold and angered. I sensed some tension between those two that I decided would be best to stay out of.

"No, just a bruised knee, maybe. Why don't you talk to the others?" I asked.

"Sandy's not much of a conversationalist."

"I've noticed. But what about Ana or Jackson? I know Ana talks nonstop, even in her sleep." I pointed in her direction, where it looked like she giving orders to the hummingbirds. "She's talking to birds, even."

Ed shifted his weight a little, causing the snow to crunch underneath of him. "Ana talks _too_ much. You get it, right? Being her roommate and all."

I jerked my head in a nod. "Okay, what about Jackson?"

"Him? He's just a bloody show pony, and I'll tell anybody that."

I laughed at his description of Jackson, who was throwing snowballs from the tree. Rolling my eyes, I prepared to start a snowball fight with the "bloody show pony." I gathered a handful of snow and did my best to form a snowball. Ed stood up to help me, careful of the small cut showing on the side of arm. I pulled my sleeve down with my spare hand.

"Now, aim at him and fire away."

My arm was pulled back, ready to throw the snowball in Jackson's direction. As I launched it through the air, I dove for a tree to hide behind. He had an advantage over me, for he was high in a tree and I was on the ground in plain sight. My hand wrapped around Ed's ankle and I pulled him to the ground and behind the tree.

A small yelp of shock proved to me that I had successfully hit my target. "Who threw that?"

Ana whipped her head to look at Jackson, only to burst into laughter.

"The Snow King has taken a hit!" she shouted.

Everybody, including me and Ed, started laughing hysterically. When I had caught my breath, I emerged from behind the tree to see that Jackson still had the snow all over his face. This triggered another burst of laughter, followed by getting hit with a snowball.

"The Snow King has struck back! Prepare for battle!" Jackson shouted, pointing at me.

A smile appeared on my face as I said, "It's on."

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**I didn't feel like writing a school scene yet, so I gave them a snow day. I know everybody loves snow days.**


	3. Chapter 3

Jackson stood over me, smiling just enough to show a flash of teeth. "I win."

"I don't think so." Ed shoved a snowball down Jackson's hoodie and watched as he squirmed, trying to shake it out. "The li'l lady here wins."

I rolled my eyes as I stood up. It was obvious that those two had a massive rivalry that started a long time ago for one reason or another. Nothing would get me involved if I could help it. Things seemed pretty intense between them. It was so bad that Ana and Sandy practically yanked me away in the blink of an eye.

"Maureen surrendered. That means that I win." Jackson seemed indignant.

Ed sneered at him. "She may have surrendered, but I was on her team and I didn't surrender."

"One person surrenders, all are out!"

"How about this? We all lost!" I shouted, surprised at my sudden outburst. My voice was naturally soft and gentle, never getting too loud. However, I hated seeing arguments or full blown fights. "Ana told me we would go to the movies. Let's go."

They seemed to accept my idea of going to the movies, or anywhere that wasn't the park. Ana looped her arm through mine while Ed and Sandy let us lead the way this time.

"They just need some time to cool off," Ana whispered in my ear.

I nodded, smiling immensely as I heard Ed and Jackson yelling about who won. Coldness seeped into my skin, and I wound my blazer even tighter around my body. Soon, Ed was wrapped around me again, just as he had been when I was pushed into the snow earlier. This time, though, we were both walking and he only had one arm around me.

Jackson started mumbling from behind us, but I couldn't make out a single word he was saying. _"What's his deal?"_ I thought, but didn't ask. If I brought this up, Ed and Jackson would probably start arguing again.

The group arrived at the movie theater after a short walk. We decided that there were no movies we wanted to watch, so instead we went out to McDonald's for lunch. I ordered ten McNuggets and a chocolate milk with a medium vanilla milkshake, my usual. We sat in a corner booth, the largest one they had.

"I love vanilla milkshakes!" Jackson exclaimed as he took a sip of his own.

My smile grew slightly. "So do I. It's so weird. I love chocolate milk but hate chocolate milkshakes. So weird." I shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Ed, how're things for Easter coming along?" Ana asked.

"Easter?" I asked.

Ed piped up. "Really great."

"Easter? Lent just started." I looked at them, confused about what Ana had just asked Ed and how Ed responded to her question. Easter was a long ways away, so I couldn't begin to think why anybody would need to start preparing this early. It was the end of February, still fully immersed in winter. There was snow on the ground and everything.

"I, um, throw an Easter Party every year since I'm not allowed to go home. Ana, Sandy, and Jackson can't either, so we all get together. Right, guys?" Ed was talking more than he had all day, so I knew for a fact that he was nervous.

Oddly enough, Jackson was the next person to talk. "Ed, I can't make it this year. Got a lot to in Canada."

"Canada? You live in Canada?"

"No, he lives in Burgess, which is a small town nearby. He just has family in Canada."

Ana was talking fast and staring at Jackson. In that moment, I knew she had a massive crush on him, and to be honest, I couldn't have blamed her. Jackson was good looking, even if I wasn't the kind of girl to be swayed just by looks.

"Hey, it's getting dark. We should be heading back to campus."

They all agreed with me, unaware that I was terrified of the dark.

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**Yes, Maureen is scared of the dark. It's actually weird how it happened, but you will find out soon. Review, review, review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Moonlight poured through all the windows as we got back to Grey Stone. The only lights were that of the moon and stars. _"It gets dark pretty quickly around here,"_ I thought nervously. The only time the dark didn't bother me was when I was in bed, curled under a mass of blankets from home.

"Dinner's pizza, if you want any," Ana said as she headed towards the dining halls.

I hesitated. "Could you bring me three plain slices? I don't feel too good."

She nodded before darting into the nearest room. As soon as she was out of sight, I took off in the direction of our bedroom. The door opened soundlessly and I plummeted into the large bed on my side of the room. With the lights on, pillows and blankets around me, and in a super tall tower, I finally felt safer than I did just a few moments ago.

When Ana finally arrived with the pizza, I was shaking in terror. She didn't know why I was shaking so much, but she didn't press questions. instead, she handed me the slices of pizza and sat on her bed, talking to me until I calmed down. It was a long time before I was finally able to stop shaking like there was an earthquake, but she managed to keep me calm with her soothing words. "Remember only good things. Don't think about the bad."

That's exactly what I did. I thought of my family back in Marco Island.

_My brother was running along the beach, throwing a frisbee to his friends. He wore a large smile, stretching from ear to ear. Everything about him seemed to glow, his tan skin, brown hair, brown eyes. He was happy to be there, watching the sunset._

_ I was there, too, but I wasn't playing frisbee or laughing. I was sitting on a sandy old bench, far from the water. I was only four and never been swimming in the ocean before. It was a big, strange expanse of water, unfamiliar and dangerous. There were strange creatures in the ocean, ones I never saw on land unless I was in an aquarium. I was scared._

_ "Don't worry, Reens. I'll right here to watch. If anything happens, I'll save you." My brother, Shane, sounded confident, smiling at me. "Go on, Sissy."_

_ I laughed at his nickname for me and walked over to the water. The sun had almost completely set, but Shane wouldn't let anything happen to me. I trusted him so absolutely, so completely, that I ignored that little feeling telling me not to go into the water._

_ The waves were too big for me to swim far out, but I was too far from the shore to get back on my own. I screamed for Shane, even though the sun had set completely, sucking all the light of day with it. Treading water as best I could, I continued to scream for help._

_ Shane reached me in several minutes, propelling through the water. He shoved me onto the shoreline, not telling me that there was a shark in the water behind him. I couldn't see it because of the night, but once his hands left my small body, I knew it was there, taking my brother out to the ocean._

_ They found his body one week later, still in one piece. He was dead, gone. He died saving my life._

I was crying when I opened my eyes to look at Ana. She had moved from her bed to mine, and her hand was making swirls on my back. _"Just like Shane,"_ I thought, bringing on more tears. I wiped them away with the back of my pajama sleeve.

"I'm fine."

Ana smiled at me gently. "No, you're not. Tell me what you were thinking about."

"My brother. The day he died." My eyes had closed and I snuggled further under the blankets. That experience hadn't affected how I felt about the ocean, but I was terrified of the dark. The dark was unseen, hiding dangerous secrets that nobody knew.

"I'm so sorry, Maureen. You must miss him."

I inhaled deeply. "It was eleven years ago, when I was four." My eyes were clouded and tears poured down my cheeks. He was the first person I would tell my secrets to, and he died never having told them to anyone. His life was cut unfairly short, and all because of my carelessness. I decided that since I was telling Ana about my past, horrible and the reason for my fear of the night, I would tell her everything that happened that night, so many years ago.

By the time I had finished, the pizza slices were gone and replaced with chocolate milk and red velvet cake. Ana was nodding understandingly, even though there was no way she could understand my pain at being the reason my brother was killed. I survived with a bloody knee and a cut down the side of my face, but Shane was gone. He was sixteen at the time.

"That's horrible. Jackson had a similar experience. He... nearly drowned while saving his sister."

I felt like she was testing her words before she spoke them, as if she was unsure of whether it was okay to say them. Perhaps she didn't know if it was okay to reveal this information without Jackson's permission. Either way, it had been said and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Good night, Maureen," Ana murmured as she fell asleep, now back on her bed.

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**You would think she'd be scared of ****_water_****, right? Well, this plays an important part later in the story, so I had to write this. Thanks to foxchick1 for following and favoriting. And BIG thanks to Mewster7 for reviewing (that was such a cool idea. I can't believe I didn't think of that! *facepalm*) So, leave your reviews and tell me what you think. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

There was a loud knock at our door, waking me up.

"Good morning, girls," Jackson exclaimed as he stepped into the room.

"Jackson? What are you doing here so early?" Ana didn't seem to notice that he was in the girls' building before classes even started. Visiting hours between boys and girls started after school. Like Ana, I didn't know why Jackson was in our dorm room do early, when I was still in my PJs.

He bounded over to my bed, seeming almost as excited as Ana was. "Another snow day. Want to hang?"

"Depends. Are you going to push me into the snow again?"

"What would happen if I said no?"

"I'd go with you. Let's go." I grabbed some clothes, a pair of black sweatpants and a Raven's jersey. My parents both lived in Baltimore, Maryland until I turned three, so my family supported the Baltimore Ravens instead of the Florida football team. Every year during the playoffs, we would go to Baltimore to watch the Ravens. This year, when we went back to Florida, our family was ecstatic because the Ravens won the Superbowl.

When I came out, Ana was already ready to go, probably ducking behind the bed like she did when I was in bed by the time she got to our room. "Let's go before the snow melts."

The next day was similar to the day before it, only Jackson never pushed me into the snow. He tried to keep me warm when I slipped on a piece of ice. His body was cold, even though he was graceful on the ice. He'd taken us to a frozen pond to ice skate instead of going to the park.

"Why didn't Ed come?" I asked.

"He was busy." Jackson wasn't acting very concerned, but I heard the subscript of his words, which was _I'm really worried about him_. While Ana didn't seem to catch on, Jackson noticed that I was staring at him. "Okay, Ed's really sick right now. No questions, Reens."

I gasped and stumbled back into the snow. Tears pricked at my eyes as I thought about the last time somebody had called me "Reens" about eleven years ago. Eleven years ago, on a beach, in Marco Island, Florida. That was back when I was four... and Shane was still alive.

Jackson seemed to notice my hidden pain. He put an icy hand to my cheek and the other one wrapped around my left hand. He pulled me close to him into a comforting hug in order to get me to open up to him. "What's the matter, Maureen? What happened? I can see it in your eyes, something bad happened."

My heart spilled out the details of that day on the beach. I told him that was the reason I was scared of the dark, why I never went to the beach anymore. If I saw one fin in the water, I'd scream and swim away. I told him all this, unable to stop myself. Once I started talking, it was easy to keep going. "I miss Shane so much. He saved my life, just like how you saved your sister." He gave me a confused look. "Ana told me."

I glanced over at my petite blonde roommate to see her eying me enviously. _"Oh yeah. She likes Jackson and he's holding me."_ I blushed intensely.

"Why're you blushing?" Jackson asked as he pulled me to my feet.

"No reason." I brushed the snow off my sweatpants and breathed into my hands to warm them up. They were now freezing, and winter wasn't even over yet here. In fact, it had barely begun, according to Jackson. "Hey, let's head back to campus. I think I'm already super bruised."

I got a laugh from both Jackson and Ana, only Ana's was more of an irritated laugh than her usual sweet and bubbly laughter that sounded like birds singing from inside of her. It was beautiful, which fit her perfectly. From her thick blonde hair to her purple eyes, she was pretty.

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**Sorry I haven't been updating recently. I have way too much on my plate, like stress (thanks a lot, School). I'm sure you all understand, considering I have finals starting ON MY BIRTHDAY! And the worst part? I have the final for my ****_LEAST FAVORITE CLASS_**** on my birthday. Jeez, aren't I so super lucky?**


	6. Chapter 6

I ate dinner in silence since Ana decided to sit at the opposite end of the room, in another room. It wasn't my idea for Jackson to comfort me when I told him what had happened. In fact, I barely even cried that time. It was getting easier for me to talk about it, I quickly learned. Or maybe it was Jackson. He was always so nice, but maybe he just felt sorry for me. I was dumped into this school in the middle of the third quarter, being a transfer student from Florida.

My parents told me that the reason for the transfer was because they were looking for houses for us to buy in Baltimore and didn't want that change to hold me back. It would be easier for me if I wasn't there to critique every house I saw. I only agreed because I couldn't sway their opinions from moving.

"Guess who."

Two warm hands were over my eyes and a deep voice, thick with an Australian accent, met my ears. "Um... Ed?" I pulled the hands down and hugged him tightly.

"How'd you guess?" He started coughing, getting the attention of some of the other girls in the room. "Did you sleep well? Jackson told me about what happened to you." He put a hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed under his warmth.

"It's getting better. I'm still going to go running up to my room in about five minutes, no make that four." I glanced outside and already began running, only to be stopped by a firm hand on my wrist. Ed was holding me tightly, not letting me go anywhere. "You okay?"

He smiled weakly. "Yeah. G'night, Maureen."

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"I think he has a crush on you."

"Not possible."

"Come on! He talks to you more than any of us."

I rolled my eyes at Ana, who had clearly forgotten all jealousy from the night before. As soon as I mentioned Ed visiting me, she had been insisting that he liked me, possibly loved me, but I brushed it aside as quickly as she mentioned. I had no romantic feelings for anyone yet. Never having been in a relationship made me more aware of heartbreak than people might think.

Ana mock-punched my arm as she tossed my uniform over to me. "Today, you finally have classes. Took long enough, right?"

"Actually, time seems to be going faster ever since I got here." My eyebrows scrunched in confusion, but I continued on my way to the bathroom. I threw on my uniform, which was freshly ironed thanks to the visit from Ed. He offered to iron it for me and brought it back just before visiting hours were up. I was grateful that I could wear a clean, freshly ironed uniform without having to go out in the dark. He was very polite.

My first class was the same one as Ana, so I was able to follow her around. However, all my other classes were a jumble of hallways, buildings, and teachers. My fourth class, French, was with Ana and Jackson, but that was it. Mr. Nick called me to his office during my last class to tell me about the school and the rules.

I was shaken by his large size and deep voice which was thick with Russian accent. He had deep blue eyes and a long white beard, making him look very little like a stereotypical principal. Mr. Nick was very happy to have a new student, going on about my wonderful talents waiting to be discovered through my time at the school. I didn't know what he meant at first, but he assured me that I would find out sooner or later.

"Do you play any sports, Miss Wolf?" he asked politely.

I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I play crew, have since freshman year." My face was beaming, I could tell. Everything about me felt tingly, but it was comforting. Finally, I had an area where I could be a star, so long as they had it here.

Mr. Nick smiled at me. "Tryouts are next week, Thursday. Good luck."

"When are practices?"

"Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 to 3:00. Will you try out?"

"Totally! I can't live without crew in my life. It is so much fun!" My voice must have raised an octave or two, because Mr. Nick smiled at me and ushered me out of the office, handing me a sport's registration form on my way out.

Sandy ran up to me, holding a pen and paper. Written on the paper were the words "How'd it go, Maureen?"

"Yeah, it went perfectly. How are you, Sandy?"

He scribbled words down and flipped the paper over. "Good." Then he wrote something else and flipped it over again. "Do you want me to get Ed or Jackson to translate instead?"

"Would you?" He nodded. "Thank you!"

Sandy ran off down the hall, and I assumed this was his free period. He was using it for me and my meeting with Mr. Nick. _"He is a great friend. I wonder why he can't speak..."_ My thoughts drifted far away from my original mindset of crew, rowing, boats, and water.

"Hey, Reens. Sorry, _Maureen_." Jackson cringed as soon as the nickname left his lips.

"It's okay. I'm... better." I put my hand on his arm, shivering as I felt the cold of it. "Why are you always cold?" I asked gently.

Jackson shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I just came in from outside."

I glanced out the window to see that it was snowing again, practically blizzarding. It was strange for me to see this much snow at once when I'd barely seen more than a flake in the past. This was strange and unfamiliar to me, and I loved it. The cold was amazing.

"You are _always_ cold, though. Are you sick or something?" I put my hand to his forehead, only to find that it was as cold as his hands. Every time I touched Jackson, he seemed to be colder than the time before. I was scared for him.

Jackson brushed my hand off his head and smiled at me. "My body's colder than most."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Obviously. Come on. What's really going on with you?"

"Nothing. I've been this way for a long time, Reens." He put a hand to my cheek as if to force me to believe that he was fine, even though his body was colder than the snow outside. "I've gotta go. Good luck at crew tryouts. I'll see you there?"

"Yeah. See you there."

* * *

**Originally, this was going to be a very short chapter. Then I realized that the next chapter would be kinda short, too. So I combined them! Sorry I haven't been updating. For the past three days, I have been watching little kids. That's it. Little kids. REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

The next three weeks were nothing but classes and rowing. Occasionally a teacher would assign us homework, but that was only if he or she was in a very bad mood. We had three more snow days throughout that time, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Our group met up on a regular basis, sometimes going out to dinner. Of course we always came back before the sun set.

"Maureen, how're you doing today?" Jackson asked as he bounded over to me. He kissed my cheek, our customary greeting since watching it in French class.

I smiled at him. "Pretty good, I think. Mom and Dad found a house in Baltimore. They've already moved all our stuff there." I gave him and excited hug. "I'm going home for Easter! Isn't that awesome!"

Ed walked up, shuffling his feet along the way. As he walked over and saw me, his face immediately brightened. While I was certain he didn't have a crush on me, he did seem to think that I was not horrible to be around. If anything, he thought of me as a little sister that he enjoyed spending time with. There was no possible way that he liked me in the way Ana thought.

"How are you doin', Sheila?" he asked, giving me a loose hug.

"Fine, thanks. I'm not going to the Easter party, though. My parents already found a house."

As I said this, his shoulders slumped. I felt bad for disappointing him, but I rarely saw my family anymore and I wanted to spend time with them. "Sorry I can't go. I promise to get you something for when I come back."

"It's alright, Maureen." Ed slumped away, hiding his face from me. As bad as I felt for abandoning his party, I needed to see my family. Ever since my first day at the school, I'd been thinking more and more about Shane and the day he died. If I didn't get out of that building soon, I'd go insane.

Jackson came over and gave me comforting hug. "He's just mad cause he wanted you at his party. Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried," I said defensively.

"Sure you're not." He smiled sweetly. "Look, I know how it feels. They ignored me for years, Reens. He feels like I am getting my revenge through you."

I squinted up at him. "But you're not."

"That's the beauty of it," Jackson said and pulled me away to the library. We spent many days in there, and that was where we did most of our homework. Jackson knew of a hidden room that not even the librarian knew about. We would go there once she turned away from us. Neither of us was able to figure out what she thought once we disappeared, but we didn't care enough to ask.

I pulled a book out of my bag and flopped it on the table in the hidden room. Even though I had no homework, it was awkward to see the table without something on it. The book had flopped open to a random page explaining colors and light. I flipped it closed, not wanting anything to do with it.

Jackson laughed as he reopened the book and began reading some random chapter that I hadn't even gotten to. I covered my ears and closed my eyes. Then I began to hum an Imagine Dragon song to block out the sound. Once laughter replaced the light buzz of his reading, I stopped humming and uncovered my ears, finally allowing my eyes to open. The book was closed on the table yet again.

"Not cool," I murmured.

"Ah, ease up, Reens." He play punched me, and a burst of cold bloomed from where he touched. I never did find out why he was always cold, but I decided to let it drop.

I punched him back, actually putting some force into it. He winced at my punch, making me feel satisfied at my ability to make him wince. "Never mess with a crew girl." That was what I always told him, even though he was also on the crew team. However, he was a coxswain, not a rower. "You know you won't win."

"Yeah, can't beat you."

We were sitting unusually close, so close that our legs brushed against each other.

"Um, what should we do now?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't see my discomfort.

Jackson smiled sweetly. "I don't know." He slid away, possibly feeling the same discomfort as me. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as our legs no longer touched. "Let's study for a pop quiz."

"Sure."

* * *

**Thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, or reviewed. It means so so so so so so (millions and millions of "so"s) much to me. Considering I started writing this story before even joining FanFiction, I think it's pretty good. And Jack and Maureen are starting to get a little close. Aren't they adorably awkward around each other? :) Review... please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?**


	8. Chapter 8

The next Saturday was a breeze, brushing by quickly. Jackson and I had forgotten what happened in the library. Either that or we both just decided to act like it never happened, even though the thought of it lingered in my mind.

"Hey, Jamie, where's Sophie?" Jackson asked as he ran to a young brown haired boy. The boy threw his arms around Jackson, clearly extremely happy about seeing him. "Meet my... friend, Maureen. She goes to Grey Stone, too."

Jamie darted over to me, his brown eyes wide open. "I'm Jamie!" He turned to face Jackson. "Is she like you?"

I was confused by his question, but Jackson didn't seem bothered. "Not yet."

"Not yet?" I asked, my eyebrows scrunched close together.

Jamie piped up instead. "He's..."

Jamie didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because Jackson clamped his hand over Jamie's mouth. He whispered something in Jamie's ear, the ferocity of his voice reaching my ears. When Jackson let go, he walked over to me. "Ignore him. He's just got a vivid imagination."

"Okay. Now... who's Sophie?"

"Jamie's little sister. I came here to play with them, but Sophie went missing."

"Missing as in lost?" I was very concerned for the young girl's safety. Jamie couldn't have been older than twelve, and if his _little_ sister was lost, then she could get into serious trouble.

Jackson nodded solemnly. "Somewhere in the woods over there. Want to help me look?"

Instead of giving a verbal response, I took off towards the woods he had gestured to. Blood pounded against my ears, making my head throb slightly. If a little girl was lost in there, I would not let her get hurt or lose someone important to her while he tried to save her. I knew how that felt, and it wasn't the warm fuzzy feeling when you know someone cares, but a guilt that lingers over you.

"Wait up!" Jackson called, his voice far off in the distance. "Reens, don't run anymore!"

I ignored him and kept running. Even though I should have listened to him, my brother's voice filled my ears telling me that Sophie was close. In that split second, I decided to trust my dead brother more than a boy I had spent so much time with and nearly kissed. He would have been my first kiss, too. My mind told me to feel bad that I backed out, but there was no time to dwell on that.

My feet skidded to a stop once I reached a pond. My toes were just over the ice, which shot cold up my leg. In the middle of the pond, surrounded by cracks, was a small blonde girl with vibrant green eyes. _"Sophie,"_ my brother told me.

"Sophie?" I repeated. Then, with more confidence, "Sophie. You are going to be alright."

She shook her head furiously. "No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. I promise, and I never, _never_, break a promise." I took a careful step towards her, avoiding the cracks. Never having a real chance to ice skate before, I slipped a lot but never went down. Slowly, ever so slowly, I made my way towards the small little girl. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears dripped down her cheeks into the cracks between the ice. "It'll be okay. We're gonna be fine."

Sophie nodded slowly, letting herself trust in my words. When I finally reached her, I noticed that the ice was about to give way. My original plan to grab her and run wouldn't work, but I had one other possibility. Luckily for me, I swam a lot in bad conditions. I gathered as much speed as I could and shoved her out of the way, onto a nearby snow bank. My feet felt the water first, soaking through. After that, the last thing I remember is being underwater and too cold to move. My lungs burned with the desire to breath, but all that came in was water.

Just as I was blacking out, I felt a hand grab my sweatshirt and yank hard. Jackson was standing over top of me, his hands on my chest. I coughed up water and gasped for breath. My vision was slightly blurred, slowly becoming clearer. Jackson leaned closer until his mouth was next to my ear. "I told you to stop running."

I began to protest as much as my voice would let me, but it was weak.

Jackson silenced me by putting a finger to my mouth. "But I'm glad you didn't. You saved Sophie's life, Reens. You're her Guardian." I didn't understand what he meant by that and I was too tired and weak to ask. "Here, take my hoodie." He slipped his hoodie over his head, put it in the snow, took my sweatshirt off, and put his hoodie on me. _"Good thing I wore a t-shirt."_

"Thanks," I murmured breathily.

He smiled before chasing after Jamie and his group of friends. None of them appeared to be Jackson's age, but he didn't seem to mind. _"Guys get at least 50% more attractive when they play with kids,"_ I thought, wanting to run after them and join in. My legs, however, had different ideas. I fell right on my butt as soon as I went to stand.

After several boring minutes of sitting on the snow, I decided to make ammo for a snowball fight. The first few snowballs collapsed in my hand, since I was still unused to making the cold objects. After the fourth failed attempt, one finally came out looking decent, getting better with each new snowball I made. After the thirteenth snowball, they finally began looking as close to perfect as I could get them.

Jackson ran back over to me, admiring my work. "Good job. These are almost as good as mine." He bent down to form a snowball, which was much better than the best of mine. "You ready to stand yet?"

"Maybe." I tried to push myself off the icy ground, but my legs were still not cooperating. "Or not." A sad breath escaped my lips as I decided that I would have to sit out on another fun activity. I flopped into the snow.

"Let me help," Jackson said, a slight chuckle in his voice. I watched as he extended his hand to help me stand.

As I finally got grip on the softer spots of snow, Jackson looped his other arm under me in order to support my weight. His cold hand clutched at my side, holding the fabric tightly. "I got you, Reens. I won't let you fall."

I shuddered as I felt his breath in my ear. His mouth was so close to my ear and all I wanted in that moment was for him to lean just a little closer to me. Suddenly, a cold feeling blossomed from my ear and I felt lips on my ear. I leaned into Jackson and tilted my face towards his so I could look into his blue eyes.

Jackson started shaking his head and pulled back. "No, I can't." Then he ran away.

"Jackson, wait!" I started to run after him, but stopped to tell the kids, "Be safe."

* * *

**So, a bit of a cliff-hanger. And guess what? IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! WOOHOO! But I had to take a Physics final today... UGH! I have died inside. But it's all good. Anyways, here's chapter 8. :) Thanks to my two lovely reviewers, who took time out of their day to read and review. Love you all! XOXO**


	9. Chapter 9

I arrived back at Grey Stone Academy, tears falling down my face. Whatever had happened with Jackson was crushing my heart and pulling tears from my eyes. My chest felt like it was empty, bleeding out all over the place. At dinner, I was unable to utter a single word to my classmates, the pain was so bad.

Ana sat on my bed next to me and put her arm around my shoulders. "What's up, Maureen? You seem depressed."

"Something happened."

"I think it's a safe assumption that it was bad. More details, please," Ana said as she shoved a small piece of sugar-free chocolate into her mouth. "Normal chocolate's probably better tasting, but this doesn't rot your teeth as much."

I laughed at my teeth-conscious roommate. "It wasn't _bad_, but it wasn't good either."

"What happened? Tell me!" She was practically begging me now.

"Jackson kissed my ear and then said he couldn't. Then he ran away. I don't get it." I pulled my knees close to my chest, hugging them tightly.

Ana looked away and pulled her arm back. "It's complicated, I can tell you that."

"Wait! You know why he acted so weird?" I was suddenly upset at her. If she knew that he loved me and would break my heart, why would she need to keep it a secret? I thought she was my best friend.

"Sort of. He'll tell you when the time is right."

"It wasn't right four hours ago?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Wait until Easter, then decide how you feel." I gave her a quizzical look so she continued speaking. "That is when he plans on telling you _everything_."

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Ana. Good night." I slid under the blankets as Ana walked back to her bed. Once she was curled up, I clicked out the light and went to sleep.

Even though the light had turned out several hours before, I didn't fall asleep. Instead, I had plugged in my earphones and listened to Imagine Dragons songs until they replayed at least three times. I skipped over some of the songs because they made me think of Jackson and reasons he might have run away from me.

When I finally fell asleep, a bright light blinded me and dropped me into a place between awake and asleep. Ed, Sandy, Mr. Nick, Ana, and Jackson were all there.

"Jackson, you have to tell her on Easter. There's no other way." Ana's voice poured out crystalline against the male voices challenging her.

A deep cough sounded and I knew it was Ed. "He's not gonna tell her, Sheila. I can guarantee you that." His voice sounded mocking, as if he was challenging Jackson to tell me whatever it was he had to say. "He's too scared."

"I'm not scared! Maureen's just too... perfect. If I tell her..." Jackson let his voice fall.

"She's going to find out sooner or later. One of us will have to tell her. Better you than any of us." Mr. Nick sounded like he was talking to an old friend rather than a student and I wondered what was really going on with them. Whatever they were keeping from me, I was going to find out one way or another.

Jackson suddenly sounded angrier. "We have until the end of summer! If someone is going to reveal everything to her, it's not going to be me. I've already hurt her bad enough."

"You could have just told her then. Would have made our lives a lot easier, 'specially yours, Mate." That was the first time I had ever heard Ed being that nice to Jackson.

Suddenly, a fifth voice, since Sandy couldn't talk, joined them. "I like Jackson's idea. Should Maureen get hurt, I will make sure it never happens, even if I lose my status. Got it?" Shane was defending me, or was he defending Jackson? How could he even be there? Considering it was a dream, I decided to go with it.

* * *

The next morning I found myself very sick. Ana was allowed to stay with me and tend to my every need, even though I tried to ask for very little. After school hours, Jackson came to visit me against Ana's will.

"It's your fault she's sick!" Ana had cried.

Jackson seemed to be nervous by the fact. "You don't think that I'm sorry? I feel terrible that Maureen got sick with... What is she sick with, exactly?"

"A really bad cold," I said between coughs. "Nothing too serious."

"Then why did Ana have to stay with you?" he demanded as though he was trying to get himself in trouble with me.

I shook my head faintly. "They didn't want it to get any worse."

"Jackson, calm down. Don't upset her," Ana whispered fiercely. I felt scared of her in that moment, and it wasn't a nice fuzzy feeling. She sounded on guard, even though just a few short weeks ago she would have been ogling over Jackson and his amazing good looks. Seeing my friend act so defensively was a new experience for me.

Jackson ran a hand through his hair casually, clearly not affected by my roomies fury. "I'm trying to comfort her, not upset her." He walked over to me and knelt by my bed. "Maureen, I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. I promise it will get better. You will get better." As he spoke, he ran his hand through my hair lovingly.

"Are you determined to get sick?" I asked.

"If I get sick because I'm near you, I wouldn't care." Jackson gave me an award winning smile, and I couldn't help but smile back. "You are perfect."

A light blush appeared on my face. "I thought you weren't going to tell me until Easter."

By the time the last of the words left my lips, my throat had grown scratchy. I turned away so I wouldn't cough on Jackson. When I turned back to face him, his face was only inches from mine. "I don't care," he repeated before kissing my lips.

My eyes sunk closed, for the kiss was so intoxicating that I could not keep my eyes open. "_It may not be the best of circumstances, but..."_ My thoughts were lost as the kiss intensified. Even though Jackson was cold, my heart was melting into a puddle. When I had to cough and pull away, I did so reluctantly. Even a second separated from Jackson felt like an eternity, and it was one that I didn't want to live in.

"Promise me you won't leave me," I said pleadingly, tears in my eyes. The memory of how he ran from me still stung very deep, but it was fading with each moment we spent together.

Jackson nodded, his lips brushing my cheek. "Never again."

Ana walked over and pulled him away, leaving me with nothing but the feeling of soft, cold lips on my cheek. I leaned toward him, hoping he would break free of Ana's grasp. Instead, he willingly left, signing the symbol for "I love you" in sign language. By the time I had signed it back, he was gone.

"He doesn't need to be getting himself sick. Sorry for the hasty exit, but I need privacy. Actually, _you_ need the privacy." She smiled as she got rubs and lotions. When she walked back over and dropped the bottles by my stomach, I knew to at least roll my shirt up. Ana was right, for I didn't want my new boyfriend to see me when I didn't have my shirt pulled down all the way. It was... awkward.

The lotion felt cold and slimy against my skin, while the rub was rough and strong smelling. The smell almost made me gag, for I was never a major fan of mints, taste or smell. They made my eyes water and my nose burn, which was very uncomfortable. Ana seemed to notice my discomfort, for she began spraying lilac scented perfume around the room.

"You are very lucky. Jackson wouldn't go out with just anybody. Trust me." Her words were soft, like she was genuinely happy for me. However, I still remembered how in love she was with Jack not too long ago.

I blinked at her curiously. "I thought you liked Jackson."

"I did, but I am totally over it. Promise." She crossed her heart.

"If you say so." I gave her an uneasy glance before my cold pulled me into a deep, somewhat dark, sleep.

_I am standing in an empty void. There is nothing but a large wooden door several feet in front of me. I have no idea where I am or how I got there. Voices pour from the other side of the door, all of them very familiar to me. The first I recognize is Jackson's. Then I hear Ana, Ed, and Mr. Nick. One of them talks to Sandy, so I know he is there, too._

"_What's going on?" I ask myself, so quietly it's barely there._

_Jackson yells at the others, sounding outraged at whatever they just said. "She should have a choice! I was alone for years!" He continued in a much gentler tone. "She doesn't deserve that."_

"_She won't have to go through that, Jackson. She'll have us to help," Ana said very persuasively. "Besides, I totally wouldn't let that happen to my best friend."_

_There was a noise of anger, followed by ranting._

"_Jackson, stop that! Maureen will be fine," Mr. Nick told him. _

"What do they mean I'll be fine?" _I wondered. That pushed me over the edge and I barged into the room. Just as I suspected, every one of my friends was in there, but they all looked very different, even Jackson. "What's wrong with you guys?"_

_Jackson took a careful step closer to me. "There's nothing wrong."_

"_Yeah, right! Your hair!" I touched the white mass on top of his head, right where his brown hair once was. "And what's up with Ana? Why does she have feathers?" I hadn't realized that I was crying until Jackson wiped my tears away. "Where's Ed?"_

"_Over here, Sheila." A large bunny looking slightly like my friend stepped forward._

"_No way. You... you're a rabbit!" I exclaimed, confused._

_Jackson snickered. "I call him a kangaroo."_

"_You little!"_

* * *

**I decided to make a really long chapter, since I haven't been updating a whole lot. My summer has been really hectic and I feel ready to scream. But my stupid personal drama aside, YAY! They are together. So, there you have it. Chapter 9! Please, review. Please, please, please? Whatever. BYE!**


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up with a start. Jackson's cold hand was pressed against my forehead, and his hair, mercifully brown, hung in his eyes.

"You're not sick anymore?" he asked hopefully.

I nodded. "I feel a lot better. Just had a really weird dream." The moment I mentioned my dream, I regretted it. I didn't want to go into details with anybody who was in the dream, especially my boyfriend. At least, I hoped he was my boyfriend. "It wasn't even that weird, though."

He gave me a disbelieving look but let the topic drop. Jackson seemed to notice how I constantly eyes up his hair, as if waiting for something to happen. Deep down, I was constantly expecting it to turn pure white, just like it had in my dream. "What's up, Reens?"

"Nothing." I shifted my weight so I was sitting on the bed instead of laying down.

"You wanna know something about me?" I nodded eagerly as Jackson spoke. "I can't stand being called _Jackson_. It's too long. I think I'm something more along the lines of _Jack_. What do you think?"

I rolled my eyes softly and smiled up at him. "I like it... Jack. I'll spread it around, okay?"

"Thanks, sweetie," Jack said as he leaned down to kiss my forehead. Once he pulled his lips away, he sat on the bed next to me. We were both smiling immensely as our lips came closer together, connecting around the halfway point. "Your kisses are like magic. Believe me, I know what that feels like." I gave him a quizzical look, but he didn't go on. "When Ana decides to release you from quarantine, give me a call."

He stood up to leave, but I grabbed his hand and held him back. "My dream had you in it." That seemed to stop him, for he turned completely around to face me. "Ana, Ed, Sandy, and Mr. Nick were there, too. Only, you all looked... different."

"Different how?" Jack sat down next to me.

I touched his hair. "White."

"Excuse me? White?"

"Sorry. Your hair. It was white as the snow. And Ana had feathers... and wings... and no clothes. Ed was a bunny, only he was really tall with beautiful markings. Sandy was glowing and Mr. Nick was dressed like Santa Claus." When Jack didn't say anything, I continued talking. "What do you think my dream meant?"

Jack wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest. "Well, Mr. Nick tells us that childhood legends are Guardians of children. Maybe you dreamed that _we_ were the Guardians. Who knows?"

I noticed how his words were rushed together at the end of his sentence. Of all the things I had let slide, this wasn't going to be one of them. "Jack, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

His answer was too fast. Even he seemed to realize it as he facepalmed himself. "Jack. Tell me," I said into his chest, since he was still holding me close to him.

"Maureen, I'll tell you when the time is right. Don't worry." He kissed my forehead again, but I pulled away from his cold lips. "I don't want anything to happen to you. That's why I'm not telling you what's going on yet. But I _will_ tell you."

My lips formed a small pout as I said, "I want to know now, Jack."

Jack brushed a tear from my cheek, one I didn't know had fallen. His voice sounded as sorrowful as I felt at that moment. "Maureen, my life is very dangerous. I don't want you to worry until the time comes when it is necessary. Don't you get it? I don't want to lose you. I already lost my family. Even my little sister died."

"I thought you saved her."

"I did, but she died a few years later." He paused, clearly trying to think of a new way to convince me. "What do you think Shane would say if he was here?"

"Shane would... He'd tell me to... trust you. He always said I needed to be more trusting." I smiled at the sweet memories of my deceased brother. In my mind, he was almost alive, but no matter how much I thought of him, nothing would change the fact that he was dead. "Fine. I'll wait a little longer. Just... don't keep me in the dark too long?"

Jack smiled. "Not a chance, Reens."

I mentally scolded myself for letting this one slide, too.

"Let's go."

"Where are we going?" I asked Jack as he headed for the door. Quickly, I stood up and grabbed an armful of clothes. "Let me change first."

"Don't take too long. It won't last forever." His voice was almost like a warning, yet it remained very gentle and loving. I wondered what he wanted me to see the entire time I was changing clothes, which only took me about twenty seconds.

I stepped out of the bathroom and was instantly yanked out my window onto the small balcony. Once my eyes adjusted from being in a dimly lit room to the beginning of a sunrise, I saw Jack climbing on the roof. He held a pale hand towards me and pulled me up with him.

After several minutes of silent staring at the sunrise, I finally spoke. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Jack's voice filled my ears, so soft, I wondered if it was real.

"That was so cheesy, Jack. Come up with your own stuff." Normally I would have mock punched him, but I didn't for fear that he would fall off and splatter. "Besides, you should give out wintery compliments involving snowflakes."

Jack smiled at me, barely moving. I could feel his breath on my cheeks, colder than the winter winds of we experienced several weeks before. My eyes closed as I leaned back, surprised at how the roof curved perfectly to form a seat. "Your eyes remind me of the ocean."

I thought about my eyes. They had green and blue in them, but there was also golden brown at the center. "How?"

"The center is like the ocean floor, calm, not shifting much. The green is like the busy area that animals go through. It usually looks kinda green. The outer rim, the dark blue, is like the part most people see but don't appreciate."

Touched by his words, tears filled my eyes. His fingers traced across the trail they left, freezing my cheeks slightly. Deep in my heart, I was still curious about how cold Jack's body was, but I agreed to wait for him to tell me. I almost wanted to go back on my promise, but he might not tell me as long as I lived if I had.

"You should get your blazer from my room. Let's go." By the time I said this, the sun had completely risen and I knew classes would start soon. I didn't want to be late to class right before Spring Break.

Jack smiled as he helped back onto the balcony. He opened the door and held it until I had passed through. "Ladies first."

My room smelled like Jack and it made me feel much happier, even though I hadn't been sad at all. Everything about Jack made me smile, no matter what was going on in my life.

"We have first class together. Want me to walk you there?"Jack asked.

I smiled up at him and wrapped my arms around him. "Sure. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before the break begins." Jack tightened his arms around me, causing me to smile even more than I was before. "Can't breathe!"

"Oops. Sorry, sweetie," Jack said, loosening up a little. "Sometimes I forget my own strength."

"Well, try to remember next time, 'kay?"

In response, he kissed my lips softly before pulling me to the building where our first class was.

* * *

**So, I don't really have much to say about this. Jack really doesn't want her to know who he actually is, but that's kinda obvious. But he did give her a HUGE hint. Anyways... review! I love reviews!**

**I just realized something really weird. I had a hair-tie in to keep my hair braided, but I took it out. Then I came on here and the braid is still in! Gah! What is wrong with me? You know what? Don't answer that.**


	11. Chapter 11

The last class of the day proved to be the hardest. I had only just got a boyfriend, but now I had to leave him for two weeks to stay with my family. Originally, I'd been happy to go home. That was before Jack told me how he felt.

"Maureen! Wait up," somebody called from behind me.

"Hey, Ana, what's up?" I asked once she caught up to me. Her purple eyes were sparkling with excitement.

She flashed me a perfect smile. "I'm staying with you during the break!"

"Really? How did you get hold of my parents?"

"You gave me your home phone number, remember? Anyways, I gave them a call and explained that I didn't have anywhere to go for Easter, so they invited me to stay with you. I promise that I tried to talk them out of it but..."

I laughed at her accurate description. "Yeah, that'd be my parents."

Just at that moment, Ed slumped over. He was wearing an almost smile. "Ana's not comin' either. Figures. A' least Jackson will get to come."

"I never thought you'd be happy to have Jack at your party."

"Yeah, well, without the snow, he's not half bad." Ed looked dreamily at the beautiful flowers growing around the building. I was curious about his reference to snow but decided to ignore it for the time being. I could always ask Jack about it later.

A loud honk sounded and I rushed outside to see what it was. I was greeted by two smiling faces and a big red van. Inside the van was a small puppy and a black greyhound.

"Mom! Dad! I've missed you so much," I said as I gave them each a tight hug.

"We've missed you, too, Maureen. And you know who else has missed you?" Mom asked excitedly.

Dad brought Poe out and placed him in my arms gently. "Poe!" I squealed, tears in my eyes. I didn't realize how much I'd missed my little puppy until I saw him up close and was touching him. His soft, warm fur was comforting in my arms.

"Is your roommate ready to go, Reeni? I want to show you our new house as soon as I can." Dad was smiling at my blonde roommate, Ana. "You must be Ana Toothi, Maureen's friend."

Ana smiled proudly as she shook my dad's hand. "She has excellent teeth."

My dad looked confused, so I quickly explained that Ana had a strange obsession with teeth. "Apparently her parents are dentists or something. Guess she got the gene for teeth, huh?" I said laughingly. Jack walked up next to me, carrying some of my bags. "You really didn't have to do that. I could have gotten them myself."

"No problem for someone as sweet as you," he said before kissing the tip of my nose.

"Now you're really in for it. Just wait until I get back," I responded playfully, glaring at him.

Jack smiled and kissed my nose again. "I'm really scared now. Ana, protect me!" He ran behind Ana, who quickly stepped out of the way.

"I am not your guard dog."

"Ed?" I watched as Ed shook his head and greeted my parents. Jack turned to Sandy, who also walked over to my family. He started signing things and Ed translated. I turned my attention back to Jack, who had started running away. "I'm sorry, Reens! Please, don't kill me."

I stopped once I realized where we were. Back at the lake where I had nearly drowned. Jack seemed to notice my hesitation, too, for he walked back over to me.

"What's the matter?"

"The lake." My voice was faint, barely more than a whisper. "I nearly..."

"Shh. Nearly, but you didn't. You are safe and alive. Plus, you saved Sophie, which I think deserves a kiss just thinking about your bravery that day." He leaned in and kissed me very gently. I welcomed the kiss happily, not caring that my family now stood several feet away, watching every moment Jack and I shared. "I'm gonna miss you when you're gone."

I nodded as I said, "Same. Maybe if I leave now, I can come back earlier?"

"Worth a shot. Let me just finish bringing down your bags." He gave me a quick peck on my cheek before running back to Grey Stone.

"Who's that?" Mom asked as she walked over to me.

I smiled at the ground, trying to slow my heartbeat to a reasonable pace. "That was Jack, my..."

"Boyfriend," Ana piped up.

I glared at her evilly and mouthed, "Run." She took the chance and darted away as fast as she possibly could. I watched from my place until she reached the van, where she stopped to pet my dogs. Her hand glided over their small heads and she seemed perfectly at peace. The perfect opportunity to strike. Too bad I didn't get a chance to.

Jack stood, a large stick in his hand. I recognized it from the one he always used when we went to the park in the winter. He called it his staff from when he was younger, but I had no idea what he meant by that. Nobody had staffs anymore, but there was my boyfriend, holding a staff. Once, he claimed that his father made it for him when he was a young boy, just before his sister was born. I jokingly asked him if he was born in the 17th Century, only to have my question ignored.

My mom and I walked over to Jack and Ana, who were poised in fighting positions. I thought they were going to kill each other until they started laughing. Jack ran over and hugged me tightly. "Hey, Reens, I have something to give you. I hope you like it." He pulled his royal blue hoodie out of a small bag and slipped it over my head. "Just a little something to remember me by while you're away."

"Oh, Jack! I love it!" I gave him a tight hug. "Thank you."

"Maureen, it's time to go," Dad called.

"Bye, Jack. See you when I get back." I gave him another tight hug before darting into my van.

* * *

**I'm sorry I haven't been updating! I had to work at a pit beef stand, and then last night I went to the movies (Monsters University is pretty cool), and I've been under a lot of emotional stress. Plus, my dad ****_said_**** he would wak me up in the mornings, but every single day, I wake up at noonish. LIES! Anyways, please don't kill me for not updating, cause I really am sorry.**


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